1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an acetabular bone graft impactor. More particularly it relates to instruments that are used to reconstruct the acetabular cavity with morselised bone graft to repair bone defects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The technique of morselised bone grafting has been used for the reconstruction of bone defects in bones as well as in the acetabular cavity using simple basic instruments such as impactors. The shape of these impactors is usually hemispherical and used with a hammer in order to impact the bone graft in place to fill bone defects.
Acetabular impactors, as presently used, usually have a shape that is generally similar to the shape of a healthy acetabulum. The most common defects are all around the acetabular cavity, known as the rim. Therefore, the strongest impaction is performed in the areas where there are no defects and no requirements for strong impaction. Due to a lack of bone support and perpendicular impaction to the opening of the cavity, the area where the strongest impaction is required is often only very weakly or not impacted at all. The can lead to a failure of the surgical procedure such as migration of the prosthetic component, resorbtion of the graft.
When performing the operation it is also possible to see the graft issuing out of the cavity during the impaction. This induces a waste of expensive bone graft, particularly in the area of the opening of the defect.